Friday, October 4, 2013

St. Francis of Assisi

October 4th is the feast day for St. Francis of Assisi. He is mostly known for being a friend of all sorts of animals, even wolves, and so consequently he has ended up in statue-birdfeeder combo form in many Catholic backyards. (Guilty as charged.) He is also well-known for his hymn, 'Canticle of the Sun', which can be found in many different versions in your average hymn book or missalette.

Naturally, I have memes to suit this occasion.

Of course, he never said that because he actually said this:

Uh, nope. Just kidding. XD

St. Francis is often depicted thus in hagiographical (related to the study of saints) artwork since he bore the stigmata, or the wounds of Christ, which in him took the form of the marks of the nails in the palms of his hands and the mark of the spear in his side. Another stigmatist was St. Rita of Cascia, who had a mark of one of the thorns from the crown of thorns in her forehead.

A more recent stigmatist was St. Pio of Pieltrecina, more usually known as Padre Pio. His body was exhumed not long ago and found to be incorrupt. If memory serves, he was a Capuchin, who are a branch of the Franciscans, so it is very appropriate to mention him today, on the feast day of St. Francis himself.

Padre Pio also looked a lot like Obi-Wan Kenobi. Rumors that he had Force powers remain unconfirmed. These are not the rumors you are looking for.

Rafting on the Nantahala, 2010. I love how the rest of them are screaming their heads off.

Even More Books I Recommend

They Fired The First Shot 2012

Look What Happened While You Were Sleeping

It Ain't Gonna Happen

I rode the Wild Eagle at Dollywood! Twice! And I have the T-shirt to prove it!

"There are some things it is better to begin rather than to refuse, even though the ending be dark."

- Aragorn, The Two Towers, p. 430

Rainbow Falls, Great Smoky Mountains

"I had forgotten that," said Eomer. "It is hard to be sure of anything among so many marvels. The world is all grown strange. Elf and Dwarf in company walk in our daily fields; and folk speak with the Lady of the Wood and yet live; and the Sword comes back to war that was broken in the long ages ere the fathers of our fathers rode into the Mark! How shall a man judge what to do in such times?"

"As he has ever judged," said Aragorn. "Good and ill have not changed since yesteryear; nor are they one thing among Elves and Dwarves and another among Men. It is a man's part to discern them, as much in the Golden Wood as in his own house."

- The Two Towers, p.427-428

Mittens! This is one of my brother's cats. Of course, any cat with white paws MUST be named Mittens.

"Do we walk in legends or on the green earth in the daylight?"

"A man may do both," said Aragorn. "For not we but those who will come after will make the legends of our time. The green earth, say you? That is a mighty matter of legend, though you tread it under the light of day!"

- The Two Towers, p. 424

LEGO Loki of Asgard is burdened with a glorious purpose... to decorate my keychain.

"...I will not trouble you now. If ever beyond hope you return to the lands ofy the living and we re-tell our tales, sitting by a wall in the sun, laughing at old grief, you shall tell me then. Until that time, or some other time beyond the vision of the Seeing-stones of Numenor, farewell!"

- Faramir, The Two Towers, p. 678

NASA Pathfinder. What? It's awesome.

Bofur is quite possibly the most adorable LEGO of all time. Just look at that smile!